diff --git a/doc/FAQ b/doc/FAQ index a4a320020e..269a86447d 100644 --- a/doc/FAQ +++ b/doc/FAQ @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL - Last updated: Sat Jan 29 23:15:42 EST 2005 + Last updated: Sat Jan 29 23:20:03 EST 2005 Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us) @@ -76,13 +76,12 @@ 4.16) Why does my large-object operations get "invalid large obj descriptor"? 4.17) How do I create a column that will default to the current time? - 4.18) Why are my subqueries using IN so slow? - 4.19) How do I perform an outer join? - 4.20) How do I perform queries using multiple databases? - 4.21) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function? - 4.22) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL + 4.18) How do I perform an outer join? + 4.19) How do I perform queries using multiple databases? + 4.20) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function? + 4.21) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions? - 4.23) What encryption options are available? + 4.22) What encryption options are available? Extending PostgreSQL @@ -922,28 +921,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) Use CURRENT_TIMESTAMP: CREATE TABLE test (x int, modtime timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ); - 4.18) Why are my subqueries using IN so slow? - - In versions prior to 7.4, subqueries were joined to outer queries by - sequentially scanning the result of the subquery for each row of the - outer query. If the subquery returns only a few rows and the outer - query returns many rows, IN is fastest. To speed up other queries, - replace IN with EXISTS: - SELECT * - FROM tab - WHERE col IN (SELECT subcol FROM subtab); - - to: - SELECT * - FROM tab - WHERE EXISTS (SELECT subcol FROM subtab WHERE subcol = col); - - For this to be fast, subcol should be an indexed column. - - In version 7.4 and later, IN actually uses the same sophisticated join - techniques as normal queries, and is prefered to using EXISTS. - - 4.19) How do I perform an outer join? + 4.18) How do I perform an outer join? PostgreSQL supports outer joins using the SQL standard syntax. Here are two examples: @@ -973,7 +951,7 @@ CREATE TABLE test (x int, modtime timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ); WHERE tab1.col1 NOT IN (SELECT tab2.col1 FROM tab2) ORDER BY col1 - 4.20) How do I perform queries using multiple databases? + 4.19) How do I perform queries using multiple databases? There is no way to query a database other than the current one. Because PostgreSQL loads database-specific system catalogs, it is @@ -983,12 +961,12 @@ CREATE TABLE test (x int, modtime timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ); course, a client can make simultaneous connections to different databases and merge the results on the client side. - 4.21) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function? + 4.20) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function? In 7.3, you can easily return multiple rows or columns from a function, http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/SetReturningFunctions. - 4.22) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL + 4.21) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions? PL/PgSQL caches function contents, and an unfortunate side effect is @@ -999,7 +977,7 @@ CREATE TABLE test (x int, modtime timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ); table access in PL/PgSQL. This will cause the query to be reparsed every time. - 4.23) What encryption options are available? + 4.22) What encryption options are available? * contrib/pgcrypto contains many encryption functions for use in SQL queries. diff --git a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html index 0b8401ec2a..d79d62c06e 100644 --- a/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html +++ b/doc/src/FAQ/FAQ.html @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ alink="#0000ff">

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL

-

Last updated: Sat Jan 29 23:15:42 EST 2005

+

Last updated: Sat Jan 29 23:20:03 EST 2005

Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us)
@@ -114,16 +114,14 @@ "invalid large obj descriptor"?
4.17) How do I create a column that will default to the current time?
- 4.18) Why are my subqueries using - IN so slow?
- 4.19) How do I perform an outer join?
- 4.20) How do I perform queries using multiple + 4.18) How do I perform an outer join?
+ 4.19) How do I perform queries using multiple databases?
- 4.21) How do I return multiple rows or columns + 4.20) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function?
- 4.22) Why can't I reliably create/drop + 4.21) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions?
- 4.23) What encryption options are available?
+ 4.22) What encryption options are available?

Extending PostgreSQL

@@ -1155,31 +1153,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) -

4.18) Why are my subqueries using - IN so slow?

- -

In versions prior to 7.4, subqueries were joined to outer queries - by sequentially scanning the result of the subquery for each row of - the outer query. If the subquery returns only a few rows and the outer - query returns many rows, IN is fastest. To - speed up other queries, replace IN with - EXISTS:

-
    SELECT *
-    FROM tab
-    WHERE col IN (SELECT subcol FROM subtab);
-
- to: -
    SELECT *
-    FROM tab
-    WHERE EXISTS (SELECT subcol FROM subtab WHERE subcol = col);
-
- - For this to be fast, subcol should be an indexed column. -

In version 7.4 and later, IN actually uses the same - sophisticated join techniques as normal queries, and is prefered - to using EXISTS. - -

4.19) How do I perform an outer join?

+

4.18) How do I perform an outer join?

PostgreSQL supports outer joins using the SQL standard syntax. Here are two examples:

@@ -1219,7 +1193,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) ORDER BY col1 -

4.20) How do I perform queries using +

4.19) How do I perform queries using multiple databases?

There is no way to query a database other than the current one. @@ -1231,7 +1205,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) connections to different databases and merge the results on the client side.

-

4.21) How do I return multiple rows or +

4.20) How do I return multiple rows or columns from a function?

In 7.3, you can easily return multiple rows or columns from a @@ -1239,7 +1213,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/SetReturningFunctions. -

4.22) Why can't I reliably create/drop +

4.21) Why can't I reliably create/drop temporary tables in PL/PgSQL functions?

PL/PgSQL caches function contents, and an unfortunate side effect is that if a PL/PgSQL function accesses a temporary table, and that @@ -1249,7 +1223,7 @@ BYTEA bytea variable-length byte array (null-byte safe) EXECUTE for temporary table access in PL/PgSQL. This will cause the query to be reparsed every time.

-

4.23) What encryption options are available? +

4.22) What encryption options are available?